Sergey Illarionov

The plot revolves around the rehearsal of the play “Excitement” in which Freindlikh is to play a famous American writer from New York. The actress and director have heated debates about the eccentric character. They discuss the process of creation, its mysterious mechanisms, the birth of a work of art in general. They also talk about the world around Alisa outside the theatre – her family, home, friends, interests and her beloved St. Petersburg. The film is meant to commemorate the great Russian actress’s 85th anniversary.

During the next duty, patrolman Vera Sedova single-handedly prevents a tragedy at the college, but a student dies in the process. She claims that the guy had a sawed-off gun, however, no weapons were found. The policewoman is cursed by her parents and the public. The only one who becomes humanly sorry for Vera is the appointed lawyer Ilya Nesterov. Ilya is more and more immersed in the case and is convinced that his client may be right.